Closing device for doors, bonnets, gates or the like, especially of vehicles, such as motor vehicles

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a closing device consisting of a grip housing ( 10 ) containing a pivotably mounted grip flap ( 12 ). Said grip flap ( 12 ) is loaded by means of a restoring force ( 38 ) in the direction of its neutral position ( 12.1 ), against which force the manual actuation of the grip flap ( 12 ) must be carried out. Furthermore, an electrical switch ( 20 ) is associated with the grip housing ( 10 ), said switch comprising a spring-loaded ( 28 ) contact actuator ( 24 ). In order to provide a compact, cost-effective closing device, the restoring force ( 38 ) of the grip flap ( 12 ) can be directly generated by the spring-loading ( 28 ) of the contact actuator ( 24 ) of the electrical switch ( 20 ). In this way, separate springs are not required for the grip flap ( 12 ).

The invention pertains to a closing device of the type indicated in theintroductory clause of claim 1. A closing device of this type is usedprimarily on the rear hatches of vehicles. The grip housing is mountedin an opening made in the outer panel of the hatch. The grip flap andalso the grip housing itself are advisably covered by a rubber skin,through which the grip flap can be actuated manually.

In the known closing device of this type (WO 98/01643, FIGS. 15–18), aprojecting pin is provided a certain distance away from the pivot axisof the grip flap; this pin projects from an opening in the sidewall ofthe grip housing. On the outside surface of the sidewall of the housing,there is an electric switch with a contact actuator, upon which theprojecting pin acts when the grip flap is actuated. Outside the griphousing, the cable leading to the electric switch is provided withclips, which serve to relieve the strain on the cable connected to theswitch. To provide the restoring force for the grip flap, a ball isused, which is installed in a side opening in the grip flap and isspring-loaded by a compression spring. Inside the grip housing, thespring-loaded ball works together with a slanted surface, which slantstoward the starting position of the grip flap. When the grip flap ismanually actuated, the ball rolls down along the slanted surface andcompresses the compression spring. One of the components of the forceexerted by the compression spring provides a restoring force, which actsin the direction toward the starting position of the grip flap. When thegrip flap was actuated, the ball rolled down the slanted surface. Thisknown closing device is bulky and has many individual parts. Thesenumerous parts complicate the assembly work and lead to relatively highproduction costs.

An electric snap switch is known (DE 44 21 275 A1), in which a contactoris spring-loaded by a spring in the outward-travel direction. Anadditional lever, which acts on the contacts by way of a plunger, isprovided on the switch housing. Because of manufacturing tolerances,there are differences between the components, which cause differentamounts of play between them. Therefore, the additional lever must beactuated with a sufficient amount of “overstroke”. The contacts,however, are sensitive, for which reason excessive actuating forces cancause damage to the switch. This document does not propose any solutionto this problem.

In a closing device for vehicles of a different type (FR 2 802 961 A1),a pivotably supported handle has two cams which act on two separatelyactuatable contacts of one complicated switch. The switch hasangle-shaped plates, which are spring-loaded by springs and have curvedsurfaces which cooperate with the handle. One of the plates serves tounlock the closing device, the other to lock it. In front of thecontacts there is an elastic shaft with an integrated diaphragm, whichis moved by one of the angled arms of the associated plate. The handleitself, however, is not returned by the spring-loading of the plate; ithas instead its own elastic restoring device, which tries to return itto its rest position. Whereas, in the rest position, the cams on thehandle push the plates back against their springs, this is not the casewhen the handle is actuated; there is a certain gap between thesesurfaces and the arms of the handle. In this situation, no restoringforce originating from the spring-loading of the contacts acts on thehandle.

In the case of a rocker switch (EP 0 411 331 A2), it is known that aflexible contact tongue can be moved from a starting position to anactuating position by the actuation of a handle, which acts by way of arigid plunger guided axially in the housing. The plunger may not undergoany radial deformation, because it would jam in its axial guide. The useof this switch for a grip flap in motor vehicles is neither intended norfeasible.

In the case of a door closing device for vehicles designed as a pullgrip FR 2 790 780 A1), it is known that a switch with a spring-loadedactuator can be mounted on one end of a pull grip. When the supportedend of the pull grip is pushed in, it actuates the switch. There is nodeformable elastic element provided between the pull grip and theswitch.

It is known (DE 100 20 172 A1) that a grip can be mounted in front ofthe contact actuator of an electric switch and can exert a restoringforce on a membrane by means of disk springs or leaf springs. Themembrane closes an opening in the grip housing and offers an actuatingsurface for the human hand.

In the case of an electronic key (DE 199 15 969 A1), finally, it isknown that electric switches can be mounted in the key housing, and thatthe switches can be provided with plungers to serve as contactactuators. A housing wall consists of a plastic membrane, under which aplate-shaped support element is provided. This support element hasdrivers, which are aligned with the plungers of the electric switchesand are seated in openings in the support element by way of torsionsprings. These torsion springs exert a restoring force on the drivers tokeep the plastic membrane pressed down into its starting position, inwhich the plungers of the switches are unactuated. When a human handpresses down on the membrane, the drivers of the support element actuatethe plungers of the electric switches, for which purpose the restoringforce acting on the drivers must be overcome.

In a known electric switch (U.S. Pat. No. 6,140,713), a pivotablysupported grip is provided with a group of cams with various profiles,where a separate electric switch is assigned to each of these cams. Eachof these switches consists of a pivotably supported contact actuationlever, which acts on a curved contact diaphragm by way of a flexible matof rubber or silicone and a thickened area of mat located thereon.Although the elastic force of the contact diaphragm restores theassociated contact actuation lever, it does not serve to restore thegrip common to all the switches. In the rest position, a gap is presentbetween the individual cams and the numerous associated contactactuation levers. If it is important for the grip to assume a definedrest position, it is necessary to provide a separate restoring spring. Astop for limiting the movement of the pivoting grip is neither presentnor necessary; instead, as a result of the different heights of thecams, the individual electric switches are supposed to be actuated in astaggered manner as a function of the actuating angle of the pivotinggrip.

In a key switch (DE 34 47 085 A1), it is known that a housing floor canbe enclosed by the shell wall of a push button in the form of ahalf-shell, where an intermediate ring of plastic is installed betweenthe push button and the housing floor. The intermediate ring isintegrated into a ring-shaped head, seated on the inside surface of thepush button; a ring-shaped base, which is supported on the insidesurface of the housing floor; and a ring-shaped diaphragm between thehead and the base, which exerts a restoring force on the push buttonwhen the button is actuated. The intermediate ring also has an actuatingring seated on the ring-shaped head, which, when the push button isactuated, bends an elastic contact bridge extending across the floor ofthe housing. During this action, the actuating ring can bulge laterallyoutward or slip sideways. The goal of this measure is to compensate fortolerances in the contact bridge. The contact bridge does not, however,serve to restore the push button; instead, as previously mentioned, thering-shaped diaphragm, which is separate from the intermediate ring, isrequired for this purpose. It is impossible to see how a push buttonswitch of this type could be of any use in a closing device with a gripflap according to the introductory clause of claim 1 of the invention.

The invention is based on the task of developing a low-cost closingdevice of the type indicated in the introductory clause of claim 1 whichconsists of only a few parts and which occupies a minimum of space, andwhere high actuating forces exerted by the grip flap will not damage theclosing device. This is accomplished according to the invention by themeasures cited in claim 1, to which the following special meaningattaches.

There is no need for a separate restoring spring to restore the gripflap, because this function is taken over by the switch spring of theelectric switch, which is required in any case. In the invention,therefore, the number of components is reduced by one right from thestart. Because an elastic element is provided between the contactactuator of the switch and the grip flap, this element is deformed whenthe grip flap arrives in its working position and presses against a stopon the housing, which stops the further actuation of the grip flap. Theactuating force then acting on the grip flap is reduced to such anextent by the elastic deformation of the element that unallowably highforces cannot act on the switch. The elastic element acts as a “buffer”between the grip flap and the contact actuator of the electric switch.The elastic element is also useful in compensating for any toleranceswhich may lead to play between the various components. As a result ofsuch tolerances, the grip flap can, when in its rest position, bevarious distances away from the stop of the grip housing. So that theposition of the electric switch is reversed reliably when it isactuated, it is sufficient to provide an adequate amount of “overstroke”in the actuation path of the grip flap. This overstroke is compensatedby the deformation of the elastic element.

It is recommended that the switch be installed under the grip flap. Theswitch itself is integrated into the grip housing, which is advisablydesigned as a shell. The shell shape is covered by the grip flap.

Additional embodiments of the invention can be derived from thesubclaims. Several exemplary embodiments of the invention areillustrated in the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a cross section through the inventive closing device beforeit is installed in the rear hatch of a vehicle, while the grip flap isin its rest position;

FIG. 2 shows the same closing device as that of FIG. 1, but with thegrip flap in its working position;

FIG. 3 shows a part of the grip housing of a closing device similar tothat of FIGS. 1 and 2, namely, from the perspective of the rear of thehousing, in the viewing direction of the arrow III in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view looking down onto the front side of thehousing of the closing device shown in FIG. 3, after the electric switchin its mounting shell have been installed;

FIG. 5 is a view of the closing device similar to that of FIG. 3,showing the relationships which are present after the electric switchand the mounting shell have been installed in the grip housing; and

FIG. 6 shows an alternative design of the closing device similar to FIG.2 on an enlarged scale.

The closing device shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a grip housing 10with a grip flap 12, supported pivotably on the housing at 11. The griphousing 10 consists of a shell, which is open toward the bottom surface13 of the grip flap 12. A mounting shell 30 is attached to the floor 14of the housing shell to facilitate the installation of the switch 20;this mounting shell is also open toward the bottom surface 13 of thegrip flap. These relationships are especially clear in FIGS. 3–5.

The grip housing 10 has an opening 15, through which an electric cable40 can be passed, the two wires 41, 42 of which continue along themounting shell 30 until they reach the electric switch, where they areconnected to two stationary contacts 21, 22. Inside the mounting shell30 there is also a strain-relief device 31, 32 for the electric cable40. This device consists here of two pins 31, 32 seated in the interior33 of the shell, around which the two cable wires 41, 42 are bent inlabyrinthine fashion, namely, in the form of an “S”. After the switch 20and the cable have been installed, the interior 33 of the mounting shell30 is filled with a casting compound (not shown). This compound at leastpartially covers the switch housing 23 and the two cable wires 41, 42and ensures that the switch housing 23 remains permanently in place inthe mounting shell 30. This group of parts forms a structural unit 44,which can be preassembled, consisting of the mounting shell 30, theswitch 20 mounted in it, and the cable 40, seated in the strain-reliefdevice 31, 32.

After it has been assembled, this structural unit 44 is introducedthrough the previously mentioned opening 15 in the grip housing 10. Theopening, as FIG. 3 shows, is provided with a suitable profile. Theprofile of the opening has a step-like form so that, during theinsertion motion illustrated by an installation arrow 34 in FIG. 1, thecontact actuator 24 projecting from the unit can pass unhindered intothe interior of the grip housing 10. Snap fasteners (not shown) ensurethat the mounting shell 30 is held in a defined position in the griphousing 10. The mounting shell 30 has a tab 35 at one end with anoutline which is complementary to the stepped shape of the opening 15;after installation, this tab essentially covers the opening 15. Atfirst, only the grip flap 12, pivotably supported at 11, is seated inthe grip housing 10.

FIG. 1 shows the installation position of the grip housing 10 in anopening 16 cut in the outside panel 17 of the rear hatch of a vehicle,the housing containing the previously mentioned structural unit 44. Theopening of the shell-like grip housing 10 is covered by an elastomericskin 36, which has a 3-dimensional profile; the central section of theskin rests against the outside surface 18 of the grip flap 12. Theelastomeric skin and the grip housing 10 together form a capsule for theinstalled structural unit and for the grip flap 12. The edges of theskin 36 extend around the bent-over edges of the grip housing 10 andthus act as seals after the closing device has been attached to theoutside panel 17 by screws 39.

FIG. 2 shows the details of the design of the electric switch 20 andillustrates its special function. The switch housing 24 comprises arelatively stiff bottom part 25 and an elastomeric upper part 26, onwhich the contact actuator 24 in the form of a plunger is formed. In theinterior of the switch housing 23, between the two parts 25, 26, thereis a curved diaphragm spring 27. When this spring is in the startingposition, its curved part holds the contact actuator 24 in a definedstarting position, which is illustrated in FIG. 1 by an auxiliary linelabeled 24.1. The diaphragm spring 27 exerts an elastic load on thecontact actuator 24 as illustrated by the force arrow 28 in FIG. 1. Thefront end of the plunger-like contact actuator 24 touches a projection19 provided on the bottom surface 13 of the grip flap 12; it is possiblefor a positive engagement to be produced here.

The diaphragm spring 27 consists of electrically conductive material. Inthe starting position 24.1 of FIG. 1, the diaphragm spring 27 is acertain distance away from the two stationary contacts 21, 22. In thisfirst contact position, which is the position normally present, the twoelectrical contacts 21, 22 are not connected to each other; the switch20 is in its “off” position. The spring-loading 28 of the contactactuator 24 serves in the present case to hold the grip flap in the restposition in the grip housing 10 shown in FIG. 1, as illustrated in FIG.1 by the auxiliary line 12.1. The spring-loading 28 of the diaphragmspring 27 provides a restoring action on the grip flap 12 in thedirection toward this rest position 12.1. This restoring force isillustrated by a force arrow 38 in FIG. 1.

In the original state, the grip housing 10 is provided only with thegrip flap 12 mounted inside; if desired, the elastomeric skin 36 canalso be inserted at this point. In this partially assembled state, thegrip flap 12 is not yet spring-loaded by a restoring force. Thisrestoring force is not produced until the structural unit 44 isinstalled. This is inserted into the previously mentioned assembly inthe direction of the previously mentioned installation arrow 34 and thenfixed in place there by means of latching devices (not shown). Then thecontact actuator 24 comes to rest against the projection 19 on the gripflap 12 and provides the previously mentioned restoring force 38.

As previously mentioned, the grip flap 12 is normally in its restposition 12.1 shown in FIG. 1. The flap remains in this position until ahuman hand 29 actuates the elastomeric skin 36.

This situation changes when a hand 29, as FIG. 2 shows, exerts pressureon the grip flap 12 and therefore pivots it in the direction of thepivot arrow 37 around the pivot axis 11. Then the plunger-like contactactuator 24 is pressed inward and arrives in its actuating position,indicated by the auxiliary line 24.2 in FIG. 2. In this actuatingposition 24.2, the diaphragm spring 27, which rests against the insideend of the contact actuator 24, flattens out until electrical contact isestablished between the two stationary contact parts 21, 22. The switch20 is thus now in its “on” state, as a result of which the desiredfunctions in the associated closing device can proceed. The position ofthe grip flap illustrated by the auxiliary line 12.2 in FIG. 2 proves tobe the effective working position of the grip flap 12. The previouslymentioned actuation 37 in the direction toward the working position 12.2must proceed in opposition to the restoring force 38. When the humanhand 29 releases the grip flap 12, the flap will move back into its restposition 12.1 of FIG. 1 as a result of the spring-loading 28 acting onit from the side where the spring is located. During the previouslymentioned actuation 37 of the grip flap, the diaphragm spring 27 is putunder even greater tension and thus produces an even greater elasticforce 28 than that present in FIG. 1.

In some cases it would also be possible to install the switch on theoutside surface of the grip housing 10 and to introduce the plunger-likecontact actuator 24 into the interior of the housing through anappropriate opening. The grip flap 12 would be supported in the same wayas that shown in FIG. 1.

In the present exemplary embodiment, the mounting shell 30 is providedwith an elevation 43, which serves as a stop for the grip flap 12 duringthe actuation process. The design of the elevation 43 can be seen veryclearly in FIG. 4. As a result of the stop action of the elevation 43,an overstroke is prevented, and damage to the components which could becaused by excessive actuating force is avoided. The elevation 43 couldalso be component of the housing 10 in certain cases.

If it is desired to increase the restoring force 38 acting on the gripflap 12, this can be easily realized by stacking several diaphragmsprings 27 on top of each other in the interior of the switch 20. As aresult, the restoring force 38 can be easily doubled or tripled. Inplace of a diaphragm spring 27, it would also be possible for thespring-loading 28 of the contact actuator 24 to be provided by othertypes of springs known in and of themselves, such as compressionsprings.

When the electric switch 20 is actuated, it may be subjected only to acertain maximum actuating force, which is designated by the number 45 inFIG. 6. In the rest position of the grip flap, shown in FIG. 1, there isa gap 46 between the grip flap 12 and the grip housing 10; this gap islarger than the distance which the diaphragm spring 27 travels betweenthe two contact positions 24.1 and 24.2 in FIGS. 1 and 2. For designreasons, however, there is a certain amount of play between thecomponents, and in certain cases this play can have the effect ofchanging the size of the previously mentioned gap 46. Thus the systemmust be capable of tolerating a certain amount of overstroke.

In order to protect the electric switch 20 from excessive actuatingforce 45 in the latter case as well, it is proposed that an elasticelement 48 be installed between the contact actuator 24 and the gripflap 12. This elastic element 48 is intended to transmit the actuatingforce 45 illustrated in FIG. 6 to the electrical switch 20. The elasticelement 48 can be deformed when the actuating force 45 it istransmitting exceeds a certain value. This deformation continues until,during the movement 37 also indicated in FIG. 6, the grip flap 12 comesto rest against the grip housing 10 or against the mounting shell 30seated therein, as shown at 47 in FIG. 6. In the present case, theelastic element 48 is formed by the contact actuator 24 of the electricswitch 20 itself.

This contact actuator 24 is designed here as a plunger and consists ofelastomeric material. It has been assumed in FIG. 6 that the actuatingforce 45 is strong enough to have deformed the plunger material to theextent illustrated by the deformation arrows 49. The cylindrical plungerthus assumes a convex shape. This has the effect of protecting theswitch 20.

FIG. 6 shows the simplest way in which an elastic element can beprovided in this area. Another possibility consists in installing, forexample, a separate spring element between the bottom 13 of the gripflap 12 shown in FIG. 1 and the contact actuator 24 of the switch 20.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

-   10 grip housing-   11 pivot axis-   12 grip flap-   12.1 rest position of 12-   12.2 working position of 12-   13 bottom of 12-   14 shell bottom of 10-   15 opening in 10-   16 cutout in 17-   17 outer panel-   18 outside surface of 12-   19 projection on 13 for 24-   20 electric switch-   21 first contact of 20-   22 second contact of 20-   23 switch housing of 20-   24 contact actuator of 20-   24.1 starting position of 24-   24.2 actuating position of 24-   25 bottom part of 23-   26 elastomeric upper part of 23-   27 diaphragm spring of 20-   28 force arrow of the spring-loading of 24-   29 human hand-   30 mounting aid, mounting shell-   31 strain-relief device of 40, first pin-   32 strain-relief device of 40, second pin-   33 shell interior of 30-   34 mounting arrow of 44 in 10-   35 terminal tab of 30-   36 elastomeric skin on 10-   37 pivot-motion arrow of 12-   38 arrow of the restoring force of 12-   39 screw for 10 (FIG. 1)-   40 electric cable-   41 conductor of 40, first wire of 40-   42 conductor of 40, second wire of 40-   43 elevation, stop on 30-   44 structural unit-   45 actuating force for 12 or 20 (FIG. 6)-   46 gap between 12 and 10 (FIG. 1)-   47 contact between 13 and 30 (FIG. 6)-   48 elastic element, elastomeric plunger (FIG. 6)-   49 deformation arrows of 48 or 24 under 45 (FIG. 6)

1. Closing device for doors, hoods, or hatches, especially of motorvehicles, with a grip flap (12), pivotably supported (11) in a griphousing (10), which flap is held by a restoring force (38) in a restposition (12.1) in the housing (10) and is manually actuated (37) tomove it into its working position (12.2), and with an electric switch(20), which has a contact actuator and a switch spring (27), the contactactuator (24) is held by the spring-loading (28) of the switch spring ina starting position (24.1), in which the switch (20) is in a firstcontact position; and upon actuation (37) of the flap (12), the contactactuator (24) is moved against the spring-loading (28) of its switchspring (27) into an actuating position (24.2), in which the switch (20)is in its second contact position, wherein the restoring force (38) forthe grip flap (12) is produced by the switch spring (27) of the electricswitch; in that a stop (43), which limits the actuating travel (37) ofthe grip flap (12) in the direction toward its working position (12.2),is provided on the grip housing (10); in that an elastic element (48) isprovided between the contact actuator (24) and the grip flap (12); andin that when the actuated grip flap (12) is in contact with the stop(30), the elastic element (48) is elastically deformed to such anextent, and thus the actuating force (45) of the grip flap (12) arrivingat the electric switch (20) is reduced to such an extent, that themaximum force allowed for actuating the switch (12) is not exceeded. 2.Closing device according to claim 1, wherein the elastic element (48)consists of a spring element.
 3. Closing device according to claim 1,wherein the elastic element (48) is formed by the contact actuator (24)of the electric switch (12) itself.
 4. Closing device according to claim1, wherein the contact actuator (24) consists of a plunger, which isspring-loaded (28) by the switch spring (27) in the longitudinaldirection.
 5. Closing device according to claim 4, wherein the plungerpoints toward the bottom surface (13) of the grip flap (12).
 6. Closingdevice according to claim 4, wherein the plunger consists of elastomericmaterial and also takes over the function of the elastic element (48)during the transmission of the actuating force (45), and in that theplunger assumes a convex shape (49) when the elastic element isdeformed.
 7. Closing device according to claim 1, wherein the electricswitch (20) is located on the outside of the grip housing (10), and inthat the contact actuator (24) acts directly on the grip flap (12). 8.Closing device according to claim 1, wherein the electric switch (20) islocated in the interior of the grip housing (10), and in that thecontact actuator (24) acts (19) directly on the grip flap (12). 9.Closing device according to claim 1, wherein the switch spring (27) ofthe plunger (24) consists of a curved diaphragm spring, which isattached around its periphery to the switch housing (23); in that, inthe starting position (24.1), the curvature of the diaphragm (27) isdirected away from the stationary contacts (21, 22); and in that, in theactuating position (24.2), the curvature of the diaphragm (27) isdirected toward the contacts (21, 22).
 10. Device according to claim 9,wherein, to increase the restoring force (38) acting on the grip flap(12), the diaphragm spring (27) can be designed to consist of severallayers.
 11. Closing device according to claim 1, wherein the griphousing (10) has an opening (15), through which an electric cable (40)can pass, the conductors (41, 42) of which proceed into the switchhousing (23), where they are connected to the electric contacts (21,22).
 12. Closing device according to claim 1, wherein the grip housing(10) consists of a shell, which is open toward the bottom surface (13)of the grip flap (12), in which shell the switch housing (23) andpossibly a mounting aid (30) are provided.
 13. Closing device accordingto one of claim 1, wherein the electric switch (20) is held in place ina mounting shell (30), and in that, when the mounting shell (30) isinstalled, it latches into position in the grip housing (10). 14.Closing device according to claim 13 with a strain-relief device for theelectric cable (40) assigned to the electric switch (20), wherein thestrain-relief device (31, 32) is integrated into the mounting shell(30).
 15. Closing device according to claim 14, wherein thestrain-relief device (31, 32) consists of a labyrinthine guide for theelectrical conductors (41, 42), which guide is an integral part of themounting shell (30).
 16. Closing device according to claim 15, whereinthe strain-relief device consists of two pins (31, 32) seated in theinterior (33) of the shell, around which the electrical conductors (41,42) of the cable (40) pass in the form of an “S”.
 17. Closing deviceaccording to claim 13, wherein the mounting shell (30) is filled with acasting compound, which at least partially covers the electric switch(20) and/or the electrical conductors (21, 22).
 18. Closing deviceaccording to claim 17, wherein the casting compound serves to hold theswitch housing (23) permanently in position in the mounting shell (30).19. Closing device according to claim 1, wherein an elevation, whichserves as a stop (43) for the grip flap (12), is provided on themounting shell (30) or on the housing (10).
 20. Closing device accordingto claim 1, wherein the mounting shell (30), the switch (20) mounted init together with the restoring force (38) acting on the grip flap (12),and the cable (40) seated in the strain-relief device (31, 32) form astructural unit (44) which can be preassembled, and in that thestructural unit (44) can first be assembled, then inserted (34) into thehousing (10), and finally fixed in place therein (10).